Part 15 Summary

Stanza 168 - Roland feels death very near, and prays that God be kind to his fellow warriors. He takes the horn and his sword and staggers into Spain, eventually fainting, when he reaches a grove of trees in which there are four marble blocks.

Stanza 169 - A lone Saracen, described as having pretended to be dead, sees Roland, realizes who he is, and makes an attempt to steal both his sword and his armor. At the moment he lays hands on him, however, Roland wakes up.

Stanza 170 - Roland beats the Saracen to death with the horn, asking how he came to be so brave as to attack him while he's unconscious. When the Saracen lies dead, Roland realizes he's broken the horn.

Stanzas 171, 172, 173 - Roland, losing his sight and his strength, attempts to destroy his sword by beating it against a rock...